Kalpana Sharma : Kalpana's Commentary
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Nov 10 2009
SMALL TOWNS
Between a village and a town
SMALL TOWNS : Between a village and a town
Janjgir has a poor base to raise finances and is heavily dependent on fund transfers from the state government. There is little here that would qualify this as a town, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Oct 01 2009
SMALL TOWNS
Saved by the women
SMALL TOWNS : Saved by the women
Narnaul illustrates above all the value of investing in women. Many have continued to be active and involved even though they have little practical support from the Municipal Council, writes Kalpana Sharma.
Sep 01 2009
SMALL TOWNS
Where history and prejudice collide
SMALL TOWNS : Where history and prejudice collide
While the old town is chaotic and crowded, on the other side the roads are wide and well maintained. There appears to be a complete disconnect between the two halves of Mirzapur, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Aug 10 2009
WOMEN AND AUTHORITY
Power dressing
WOMEN AND AUTHORITY : Power dressing
Commenting on the dress sense and looks of women in power is only one aspect of the tendency to run down their success. And women are expected to laugh this off, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Jul 28 2009
SMALL TOWNS
A town full of surprises
SMALL TOWNS : A town full of surprises
Jhunjhunu's example can be emulated by other towns of this size. The work of the local groups has been diluted by institutionalisation, but mobilising people continues to pay dividends, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Jun 14 2009
WOMEN IN POLITICS
A law with flaws
WOMEN IN POLITICS : A law with flaws

If the government fails to take on board some of the constructive suggestions made on the draft Women's Reservation Bill, it might not serve the purpose for which it has been conceived, writes Kalpana Sharma.

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Jun 03 2009
SMALL TOWNS
Sehore: Once vibrant, now in disarray
SMALL TOWNS : Sehore: Once vibrant, now in disarray
Twenty years ago Sehore was a very livable town. It had a beautiful microclimate and was surrounded by forests and water bodies that never dried up. Today it is becoming a village again, finds Kalpana Sharma.
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May 07 2009
SMALL TOWNS
Madhubani: The old and the new
SMALL TOWNS : Madhubani: The old and the new
The concrete road is a symbol of some development in this northern Bihar town, but it sits oddly with its surrounding landscape. The lack of jobs, the bane of many small towns, has affected Madhubani too, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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May 03 2009
WOMEN IN POLITICS
Many more Mayawatis
WOMEN IN POLITICS : Many more Mayawatis

They cannot compete with Mayawati, or Jayalalitha or Sonia Gandhi. But the new breed of women politicians springing up in India's small towns will become a political force to reckon with in the years to come, writes Kalpana Sharma.

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Mar 23 2009
MEIRA PAIBI
Disturbed in Manipur
MEIRA PAIBI : Disturbed in Manipur
In the run-up to the elections, only the dominant voices from "mainland" India will be heard. But we need to listen to what those living at the margins of this country are saying, writes Kalpana Sharma.
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Kalpana Sharma is an independent journalist, columnist and media consultant. She has been, until recently, Deputy Editor and Chief of Bureau of The Hindu in Mumbai. In over three decades as a full-time journalist, she has held senior positions in Himmat Weekly, Indian Express and the Times of India. Her special areas of interest are environmental and developmental issues. She writes a fortnightly column in The Hindu's Sunday Magazine section, The Other Half, that comments on contemporary issues from a gender perspective. She has also followed and commented on urban issues, especially in the context of Mumbai's development.

Kalpana Sharma is the author of Rediscovering Dharavi: Stories from Asia's Largest Slum (Penguin 2000) and has co-edited with Ammu Joseph Whose News? The Media and Women's Issues (Sage 1994, 2006) and Terror Counter-Terror: Women Speak Out (Kali for Women, 2003)